In the fluid mixing art there are various devices to effect mixing of one or more fluids. Some mixers require movable mixing elements, such as blades or propellers, and motors for moving such mixing elements to effect mixing of fluid in a container or flowing therethrough. A motionless mixer is another type of mixer which does not ordinarily require a separate power or energy input to effect the desired fluid mixing because the mixer itself does not have externally powered movable mixing elements. Examples of motionless mixers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,259,021 and 4,329,067, the entire disclosures of which hereby are incorporated by reference.
Mixing occurs in motionless mixers, for example of the type disclosed in such patents, in response to the flow of fluid through the mixer. In the mixers of such patents a quantity of fluid is divided into plural flow streams; the locations of respective streams is altered; the streams are permitted to mix in a generally turbulent manner; and the process preferably is repeated. To effect the desired formation and subsequent mixing of such streams, for example formed during use of such motionless mixers, two plate-like or disc-like members may be used--one separates the fluid into multiple streams and the other directs the streams for recombination thereof.
As used herein, a charged fluid means a fluid that has an excess of or a depletion of electrons, this relative to the normal or usual freely occurring uncharged state of such fluid. For example, charged air may be air that has an excess of electrons, and charged water, mist or water vapor likewise may have an excess of electrons; similarly such charged fluid may be such that it has a dearth of electrons relative to the normal, freely occurring state thereof. Examples of use of such charged fluids are presented in copending, concurrently filed, commonly assigned U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 645,841 for "Charged Fluid Reaction Control" and 645,810 for "Particulates Generation and Renewal", and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,061 the entire disclosure of which hereby are incorporated by reference.
In this disclosure the following convention is used: Reference to and illustration in the drawings of a negative or minus sign ("-"), is intended to mean a source of electrons or an excess of electrons, e.g. from the positive terminal of a battery; similarly, use of a positive or plus sign ("+"), is intended to mean a dearth of electrons and a source of relatively lower electric potential such that electrons from a source would tend to try to flow from the source to the lower electrical potential, e.g. the ground or negative terminal of a battery. Caution is urged to avoid confusion by such convention with the usual convention in electrical engineering, electronics and physics in which the positive terminal of an electrical power source, for example, is that from which current flow emanates. Rather, in the present invention, concern primarily is for the source or dearth of electrons and not for the actual electrical polarity.
Prior charging mechanisms for fluids have been relatively inefficient. Such prior systems have included point discharge devices in which electrons are discharged into a fluid, such as an air flow, but a relatively poor distribution of the charge is effected in such systems. In water systems wherein it is desired to charge water flowing past the charging device, point discharge devices tend to encounter short arcing. Moreover, in the past, various fluid charging devices have not been effective mixers, and if it was desired to effect mixing first and subsequent charging of the fluid, relatively high current supply was required. According to the present invention, though, mixing and charging occur simultaneously and, additionally, it has been found that a relatively low power supply requirement is needed. The degree of difficulty of charging a fluid increases as the distance of the fluid from the actual charging device, such as an electrode, increases. It would be desirable, and is accomplished according to the present invention, to effect simultaneous mixing and charging in a way that the distance between the fluid and the source of charge, such as the source of electrons during at least part of the time of operation of the device, is minimized; and substantially all fluid encounters at least some flow in close proximity to the electrode(s), thereby reducing power requirements and increasing efficiency of charging.